Toughness is found in soul and spirit, not in the muscles. Alex Karras

Friday, January 27, 2012

Communicating with Educators

Crew's teacher this year is fairly new and I'm not sure how she feels about having Crew in her class. Additionally, we have somewhat of a face to face communication barrier between us as she is deaf and my ASL skills are limited. I have been in knots about the negative feedback we have been getting daily which is relayed through the bus driver and aide. I just don't think this is acceptable even with the communication barrier between us.

How would you handle a situation like this? When I ignore the problem it just seems to fester so decided to try to tackle it head on. I hope I didn't just shoot myself in the foot but here is the reply to the teachers email regarding my request for a parent/teacher/director meeting.

Tell me what you think? Should I just go crawl in a hole now?

Hi J.....! I really do appreciate the update. You have been so great with Crew and when I have stopped in at the school I am always pleased with how everyone interacts with Crew. I hope he is making progress enough that people feel like his time there is worthwhile. I'm happy to hear that he is getting around the school with various means (walker, wheelchair, bike). That is so appreciated especially during these cold months when I can't get him outside on his bike. Crew loves all of those activities including swimming and dance.

In my heart I know he is a very bright child. I can see the wheels turning when he works on chores at home, interacts with his ipad, and even watching cartoons. Developmentally, I am seeing some progress and it is such a delight! We are working hard at home to improve his nutrition and to provide a variety of activities to stimulate his mind and give him exercise. I know it is a lot of work (my body reminds me daily) but I hope it will pay off over time. Thank you for taking part in helping him find success during such a critical time in his life.

It is so hard having a child that cannot communicate. I do not know what he does at school, who he plays with or anything without communication between you and I. My main concern is that it has been a really long time since I have heard anything positive and as you can imagine that is very frustrating and hurtful. We try so hard not to use labels with Crew yet almost everyday I get reports that he is "indecisive" or "uncooperative" (relayed through the bus driver/aide). One big concern I have is that if this dialog takes place between adults at the school, I'm sure his other classmates are picking up on it. Our main goal with Crew's education is that he is accepted and loved. We want him to have a positive experience when he is away from the home and to feel good about himself. Please don't report any negative behavior with the bus driver and bus aide unless you are concerned that he is sick or unless he has had a seizure. They love him and go far beyond their job descriptions to provide a positive atmosphere. I want to keep it positive but when they bring him home they usually relay the information given to them about Crew's behavior and then the other kids on the bus pick up on it.

The best way to communicate with me other than phone is by email or text (xxx-xxx-xxxx). I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.